1.) This Love (Taking You Home) - "My oldest son was born at 25
weeks gestation weighing 1 lb. 9 oz. It was the year 2000 and Don Henley
had just released This Love. I would listen to this song over and
over on my way to visit my sweet boy in the NICU. On the good days, I
would sing it joyfully anticipating the day we would bring our sweet boy
home from the hospital. On the tough days, I would sing with tears
streaming down my face wondering if the day I would bring him home would
ever come. On January 2, 2001, my husband and I finally brought our
beautiful miracle home after 90 days in the NICU. He is now nine years
old and I still sing this song and I can't help but tear up sometimes.
'This love is like nothing I have ever known. Take my hand love, I'm
taking you home.'" Julie K. - Franklin, TN
2.) Hush Little Baby - "When my daughter was born she only
weighed 3 lbs. It was almost three days before I was able to hold her
for the first time. She felt so light in my arms, I was almost afraid to
hold on too tightly because I thought I would hurt her. Her father
leaned over my shoulder and we both sang to her, "Hush, little baby,
don't say a word, Ma-ma's going to buy you a mocking bird." She looked
up at us under the sterile lights of the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit
and smiled, then closed her eyes and went back to sleep. All through her
childhood, every night when I tucked her into bed, I sang Hush, Little
Baby to her. My daughter just turned seventeen years old. I can't
believe how fast time has passed! Someday, when she has her own
daughter, I hope she pauses to remember her mother singing to her when
she was a little girl." Rosalie S.P. - Grand Ledge, MI
3.) Twinkle Twinkle in D - "My Christopher's favorite song is
when I sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to him. He also loves
listening to your beautiful version of Canon in D - I played that
starting when he was in utero. Thank you for all of the beautiful
music!!" (We combined both of these into one special song for you Audra.
Eat your heart out Karen J !) Audra S. - Omaha NE
4.) Return to Pooh Corner - "This song pervaded my childhood.
My Uncle Ken would play the guitar and
sing these songs to me and my
cousins at the cabin, around the campfire and at family get-togethers.
We'd all sing along, although he encouraged me to sing a little ...
quieter. After my car accident in 1995, I spent five months in the
hospital and had difficulty sleeping. Shortly after the accident he
called me at the hospital in South Bend and sang House at Pooh Corner
over the phone until I fell asleep. Throughout my stay, this song helped
me sleep, or at least rest, on really bad nights. To this day, I sing
them to myself if I'm unable to fall asleep." Mandy S. - St Paul, MN
5.) Rock a Bye Baby / Edelweiss - Rock a Bye Baby is the
song that our mom said that she would sing to us every night! So we
combined it with a lullaby version of her favorite song, Edelweiss,
in tribute to her mom that was born in Austria. Thanks for bringing us
to piano lessons every Wednesday after school - we love you mom!
6.) You Are My Sunshine - "When we (5 kids) were young (50's
and 60's) my mom sang this song to us on a regular basis. When I had
children, I sang it to them. My mom left this earth in February 2008.
She had been nonverbal for more than a year. Eight days before she died,
my daughter and I were visiting her and sang You Are My Sunshine
to her - AND SHE SANG ALONG! This is such a huge blessing and memory we
will forever hold in our hearts, and I can think of no better way to
hear it in our minds than to your music. I truly hope you include it in
this CD." Pat B. - Apple Valley, MN
7.) The Itsy Bitsy Spider - This is Tim's favorite lullaby. J
8.) An Irish Lullaby - (We combined two stories/songs together
for this song!) Story 1: "My mother's family - the Kellys - came from
Ireland. I think it was my great-great grandfather who came over to
Boston. The song Too Rah Loo Rah Loo Rah was passed down to my
mother. When I was little, she would sing this lullaby to me and my
siblings. When my daughters were little I sang this same song to them
and now I sing it to my grandchildren. Thank you for considering my
lullaby - I'm so excited about the whole CD! My twin grandbabies will
love it!" Lonnie L. - Georgetown, TX Story 2: "About 36 years ago
our oldest son (Brian) was having a rough night and so was his mom. I
got out of bed, took the baby from my wife's arms, sat in the rocker
while she laid down on the sofa and began to sing and hum softly the
Notre Dame Fight Song. I am no singer by any means but much to our
surprise he calmed down and soon was fast asleep. We had three more
children and three grandchildren all of whom have been rocked asleep to
that wonderful song. My wife's sister works in a local hospital and has
used our Fight Song to quiet many a Lad or Lass who was trying to Shake
Down the Thunder. It works!" Tim P. - Joppatowne, MD
9.) Cáislean Droma Mhor (The Castle of Dromore) - This song was
recommended by Mike M. of Chicago, IL by Facebook. Mike sings this
lullaby to his daughter Katie every night. This was the first submission
that we received and when we noticed that ‘Owen' was mentioned in the
lyrics (Tim's son's name!) and heard the beautiful Irish melody we knew
that we had to include it on the CD. Thanks Mike!
10.)
Puff the Magic Dragon - "Growing up the youngest of 6 children,
I always had a special bond with my sister Michelle who is 10 years
older than I am. My warmest childhood memory is of the nights when she
would sit beside me in my bed and play her guitar. I loved Puff the
Magic Dragon and she would always play it for me. Even though we
live 5 hours apart now, we maintain such a strong friendship. When I
hear that special song I always think of my sister who is my strongest
supporter and I am her biggest fan." Dawn K. - Ryder, ND
11.) The Muffin Man - This is Ryan's favorite lullaby! J
12.) Come Back Paddy Reilly - "I have truly fond memories of my
mom singing this to us. The words are
very beautiful and the song will
always hold a special place in my heart! Here are some of the words:
"The baby is a man now toil worn and tough but a whispering comes over
the sea...come back paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduffy, come home paddy
Reilly to me". My mother once told me that when I was born, the day that
I first saw the light, I looked down the street on that very first morn,
and gave a great crow of delight. Now most newborn babies appear in a
huff, and start with a sorrowful squall, but I knew I was born in
Ballyjamesduff and that's why I smiled on them all. The baby's a man,
now he's toil-worn and tough. Still, whispers come over the sea, Come
back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me."
Mary C. - Oswego, NY
13.) My Own Home - "Upon having my first child, 18 years ago, we
started watching The Jungle Book. The last song is called My Own Home
and in it a native girl sings of her task and how she is looking forward
to growing up, having a daughter and assuming her new role as mother so
that her daughter can then do what she did. While politically incorrect
lyrically (by today's standards) the melody is hauntingly beautiful and
since I had sons I began singing "Then I will have a handsome husband
and a BABY of my own, and I'll send him to fetch the water, I'll be
cooking in the home" - It always took me back to a simpler time when
family was taken care of by mothers who stayed home, when we -could- do
that. Five babies later (3 sons, a daughter and another girl on the way)
I still sing it to the babies, including nieces and nephews." Tammy T.
- Staten Island, NY
14.) Amazing Grace - "My son Johnny was born on September 3rd,
2005. Johnny was a fussy and crabby baby right from the get-go. He just
would not stop screaming! I took my baby in my arms; it was the first of
many, many nights and days of screaming ahead. One night I started
singing and humming Amazing Grace to Johnny - this was more for
me than it was for him at the time. I needed something to get me through
those long nights...because they were supposed to be the best days of my
life, and they weren't! Eventually, singing this song was the only way
to get him to sleep. Whenever
anyone watched Johnny, I had to instruct
them to sing or hum Amazing Grace to him, while you let him hold
your finger. That would calm him down and he would eventually fall
asleep. Johnny is now four, and Amazing Grace is still a song
that can calm me down and remind me to be thankful for all the blessings
that I have in my life...especially my children!" Katie L. - New
Prague, MN
15.) Nighty Night, Mr. Moon - "A week before my 12th
birthday on Thanksgiving night 1972, our Daddy went to the hospital with
a sore throat. I remained home to babysit my 2 year sister along with a
neighbor across the way checking in off and on through the night. Our
Daddy died at four in the morning. I had spent the night humming
Braham's lullaby to my sister and began to add words to the soothing
tune. As a Mommy I sang my words Nighty Night Mr. Moon to my two
daughters and decades later am singing Nighty Night Mr. Moon… all
the angel's are singing… to my eight grandchildren. My lyrics, inspired
in a time of despair to comfort the soul of my baby sister Beverly, is
dedicated to her, our children, our grandchildren and all the babies
around the world that are cradled under our Mr. Moon lulled to sleep
with thoughts of angel choirs! Lyrics: Nighty night Mr Moon, all the
babies are sleeping. Nighty nighty, Nighty nighty, Nighty nighty night
night. Nighty night Mr Moon, all the stars are a' shining. Nighty
nighty, Nighty nighty, Nighty nighty Night Night. Nighty night Mr Moon,
all the angels are singing, Nighty nighty night night. Lah la lah la la
lah la la la la la lah la, la la la la lah la la lah." Lyrics and
story by: Barbi B. - Eau Claire, WI
16.) Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) - This is Annie O'Neill's
favorite lullaby. We now sing it to our sweet little Owen and Gabrielle.
Sweet Dreams!!
